Article

Learning to stay safe: Children participate in Explosive Ordnance Risk Education

UNICEF protects children and caregivers by strengthening community awareness of explosive risks

By: UNICEF Syria

A woman shows a poster with pictures on it to a group of children in a classroom. — UNICEF/UNI970621/Johnny Shahan

01 April 2026

At Tall, Rural Damascus - Explosive remnants of war continue to put children across Syria at risk every day. As access increases to areas that were once active frontlines, these hidden dangers are becoming more visible. Many communities remain contaminated with explosive hazards, posing ongoing threats to families and children returning to rebuild their lives. UNICEF is supporting efforts to help children and caregivers recognise, avoid, and safely report unexploded items to the relevant authorities.

In At Tall city in Rural Damascus, UNICEF and its partner are supporting children and caregivers with essential protection services, case management, mental health and psychosocial support, parenting programmes for caregivers, and awareness-raising on child protection risks, and Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE).

As part of this wider protection programme, EORE sessions provide children with life‑saving knowledge on how to identify dangerous items and what steps to take if they encounter them. Delivered through interactive discussions, visual materials and play-based activities, these sessions help children understand risks in a way that is safe, engaging and appropriate to their age. These life-saving activities are delivered by trained workers in UNICEF-supported child-friendly spaces, schools, and community platforms, ensuring children not only receive critical safety messages but also benefit from safe, supportive environments for learning and play.

A woman delivers a presentation to children. — UNICEF/UNI970609/Johnny Shahan Anwar, a UNICEF-supported worker, delivers a session on the risks of explosive remnants of war during an awareness raising activity for children at a UNICEF supported child friendly space in At Tall, Rural Damascus.

“I received training on explosive remnants of war before starting my work. From that moment, I felt a strong responsibility for the children in my community and understood that it is my role to help keep them safe.”

Anwar, a UNICEF-supported worker leading EORE sessions

A woman shows children something on a poster.

Anwar, a UNICEF-supported worker, provides an awareness raising session on the risks of explosive remnants of war. “We ask children to share the information they learned with their families and among their friends. In this way, we spread the needed awareness in the wider community,” she said.

UNICEF/UNI970616/Johnny Shahan

A girl wearing a warm jacket, smiles for a photo.

Hala, 10, smiles during an awareness raising session on the risks of explosive remnants of war. “I learned not to enter damaged buildings or go near unfamiliar objects in the street because they might be dangerous,” said Hala. “If I see something suspicious, I will stay away and tell my father.”

UNICEF/UNI970611/Johnny Shahan

Portrait of two girls sitting next to each other in a classroom.

“Today I will tell my brothers what I learned at the centre. They play outside with their friends in the neighbourhood, so it is important that they also learn how to stay safe from explosive ordnance,” Zeina, 11 said.

UNICEF/UNI970618/Johnny Shahan

“I’ve attended sessions about this topic before, but I enjoy learning about it again. Sometimes we forget important safety messages, and these sessions help remind us how to stay safe,” Rawan, 11 said.

UNICEF/UNI970622/Johnny Shahan

Two girls sit next to each other in a classroom.

(right to left) Ritaj, 11, and Hala, 10, attend an awareness raising session on the risks of explosive remnants of war. “During weekends, my family and I sometimes visit the fields around our town. I will share what I learned about the dangers of landmines so we can all stay safe during our picnics,” Ritaj said.

UNICEF/UNI970623/Johnny Shahan

Two smiling girls sit next to each other in front of a wall with posters of explosive remnants on it.

(right to left) Layan, 11, and Zeina, 11, attend an awareness raising session on the risks of explosive remnants of war. “When the workers explained the danger of explosive objects, I didn’t feel afraid. Instead, I felt more confident because now I know how to stay safe if I ever see one,” Layan said.

UNICEF/UNI970624/Johnny Shahan

A group of children stand in group outside while a woman shows the something on the ground.

A group of children participate in a group activity designed to raise awareness about the risks of explosive remnants of war. “Playing is one of the best ways to communicate ideas to children,” said Anwar, the instructor. “I avoid touching the toy objects that represent landmines, so children never think it is acceptable to handle such items.”

UNICEF/UNI970625/Johnny Shahan

Rawan, 12, receives awareness materials about the dangers of explosive remnants of war from Anwar, an instructor, during an awareness raising session on the risks of explosive remnants. “I can’t wait to go home and show the illustrated stories about remnants of war to my siblings. We will read them together and enjoy playing the game and coloring the booklet,” Rawan said.

UNICEF/UNI970626/Johnny Shahan

Two smiling girls hold packages containing booklets.

Reem, 12, and her twin sister, Rawan, hold awareness materials about the dangers of explosive remnants of war after an awareness raising session. “Seeing the pictures makes learning about safety fun. Rawan and I will tell our brothers and sisters what each story teaches us,” Reem said.

UNICEF/UNI970628/Johnny Shahan

Two girls smile while holding awareness materials about the dangers of explosive remnants of war

(right to left) Shahd, 11, and Duaa, 11, hold awareness materials about the dangers of explosive remnants of war after an awareness raising session. “I enjoyed today’s session and learned that if I ever come across explosive materials or a suspicious object, I should stay away and tell an adult so they can inform the proper authorities,” Duaa said.

UNICEF/UNI970627/Johnny Shahan

Between January 2025 and February 2026, UNICEF provided life-saving explosive ordnance risk education to nearly 900,000 people including children and adults, in addition to providing parenting skills sessions to more than 70,000 caregivers, and over 130,000 children with psychosocial support helping communities stay safe and resilient in conflict-affected areas. This vital work was made possible through generous contributions from the Government of US; the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KfW Development Bank; Governments of Australia, Italy, Japan, Norway and New Zealand; the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Government of the Republic of Korea; the Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund; the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF); The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); and UNICEF National Committees for Ireland, Japan, Spain, Norway.

UNICEF works with partners to ensure that children can live, learn, and play in a safe environment, free from the danger that can threaten their lives.

Learning to stay safe: Children participate in Explosive Ordnance Risk Education

Anwar, a UNICEF-supported worker, provides an awareness raising session on the risks of explosive remnants of war. “We ask children to share the information they learned with their families and among their friends. In this way, we spread the needed awareness in the wider community,” she said.

“Today I will tell my brothers what I learned at the centre. They play outside with their friends in the neighbourhood, so it is important that they also learn how to stay safe from explosive ordnance,” Zeina, 11 said.

“I’ve attended sessions about this topic before, but I enjoy learning about it again. Sometimes we forget important safety messages, and these sessions help remind us how to stay safe,” Rawan, 11 said.

Reem, 12, and her twin sister, Rawan, hold awareness materials about the dangers of explosive remnants of war after an awareness raising session. “Seeing the pictures makes learning about safety fun. Rawan and I will tell our brothers and sisters what each story teaches us,” Reem said.

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